Thank you all for stopping by and reading! In case you were wondering, I’m still here. A little bit swamped, quite tired and behind on sleep, but still here. I am very happy to report that our living room renovation is well underway and grateful that the first phase of the project, and the messiest one (I hope) – construction- is behind us. After moving into our cottage a little over three months ago, we found ourselves in a whirlwind of renovation that keeps on gaining steam. Our updates have been mostly cosmetic (like replacing stair railings and adding picket fences here and there) but our latest one involves opening up walls and is by far the biggest we’ve done yet. For those of you who are new to Café Design (welcome!) here’s the idea… Our home is a simple Cape Cod style cottage with a center hall layout. The second floor is pretty straightforward but the first floor was chopped up into multiple tiny rooms. The living room was quite charming with ample south-facing windows and a fireplace but it felt quite small and closed off. On the other hand, right next to it there’s a tiny bedroom (roughly 11’x11’ ) that we rarely got to use because 1) it was small and rather bland 2) it had an awkward entrance right next to our coat closet.
When we thought about how we’d best capitalize on that small bedroom, we felt like the space was going to waste as it was. As a library/office it felt a little bit claustrophobic and since we rarely have overnight guests having a bed in that room didn’t make sense either. But we didn’t want to lose a room that could potentially count as a bedroom at resale.
So, our plan was to open the living room walls and close off the existing entrance, and it makes a world of difference! To provide a sense of privacy, we had French doors installed. They let in natural light and as a result, both rooms feel brighter, larger and more open. Once the walls were open, it was appropriate to revisit the electrical wiring, remove old switches that had no apparent role, and add sconces on either side of the fireplace.
The old entrance to the bedroom was closed and plastered and a new entrance from the living room was created.
I have changed my mind a couple of times during the project and made a few mistakes along the way too. A patient husband and contractor are key 🙂 For example, I had initially wanted overhead lighting in the living room but thinking about it, it felt like the fixture itself would attract the eye and steal focus from other things and potentially overwhelm what was already a small and busy room, so we opted for sconces instead.
Another change of heart came with the size of the French doors. I had initially fallen for the larger 6 foot ones that had 3×5 lites on either door but once the doors were in the room, the scale felt off, a bit too large for such a small space. So I returned the 6 foot wide ones and got the 4 foot wide pair instead. The doors are divided into 2×5 lites and work better with the style of our living room windows which have 2×4 lites. Going with the smaller doors left enough wall space on either side of the doors to add bookshelves in the library ( further down the line). For now we have a mashup of shelves in there, filled with books and board games and what-not. The shelves are a mix of styles, sizes and colors and we plan on having some custom made that would fit the space more snugly. And I’m happy to report that we use the room so much more now – even while it’s not yet finished. It’s our home office, library, and occasional TV room.
I apologize for including only construction photos today. Like I said, nothing is finished or pretty yet, but they give a glimpse into the changes we’ve made so far and I wanted to share them with you. I still need to order lighting and decide on an appropriate wall treatment for the living room, maybe a new paint color too, but I’m deliberately slowing myself down and forcing some breathing time in between 🙂 In fact, in the middle of all the construction madness, without carpets or curtains, we had guests over for dinner. Please don’t judge! 🙂
Looks terrific! Love the french doors.
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Thank you so much, Francine!! You’re so kind!! xoxo, Eva
Things are coming along so nicely! And that whole idea to open up to little room was a great one — that idea of a third bedroom when you go to sell the home is HUGE, and you can enjoy this lighter, brighter space while you’re here. I had friends who did something similar and made that room kind of a library alcove area – put in bookshelves and a window seat — looked terrific and was such a great addition to their home!
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Hi, Linda! Thank you so much for your kind comment and encouraging words!! That’s exactly what we intend to do with the space, have built-in shelves made and a double window with a sofa bed right under it overlooking the garden! Nothing like a cozy room with a window seat, right? 🙂 … xoxo, Eva
Great progress Eva! I was wondering why you didn’t go with larger French doors and your decision makes perfect sense. And good for you for slowing the process down and not letting it stop life! With today’s Insa-this and Insta-that we tend to want beautiful homes immediately, building a warm and welcoming home takes time and deliberation. I love that you had friends for dinner to celebrate the progress you’ve made.
Three cheers all the way around! xo
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Hello, Katie! Thanks so much for your sweet comment! I did debate myself a couple of days about the doors but once they were in I knew I made the right decision. Anything bigger would have swallowed our small living room and library… I know exactly the pressure you’re talking about… Instagram is amazing in creating connections and providing inspiration but it can also set up unrealistic expectations when it comes to designing a home. It does take time, effort and the result is never flawless 🙂 xoxo, Eva
You have great ideas. Everything is going to be just gorgeous! Thanks for letting us see your journey.
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Aww, that is so sweet of you to say, Ellen!! Thank you!!! xoxo, Eva
I love the French doors!!
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Hi, Mary! Thank you!!!! xoxo, Eva
I am newer to your blog and have really enjoyed reading old and new posts. It’s a pleasure to see the progress on your charming home, especially because it looks like it is close in size to my own and we seem to share many of the same inspiration sources. Looking forward to hearing and seeing more of your thought process as you make it your own!
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Hello, Rebecca!! Thank you so much, I much appreciate your comment!! xoxo, Eva
I love the change you made relocating the door to the guest room, and the smaller French doors look great. I really appreciate you showing the “work in progress” even though it’s sometimes not glamorous. Please keep sharing, and kudos for having friends in during the process!
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Hi, Cindy!! Thank you so much, so glad you like the transformation! It has COMPLETELY changed the way we use the entire downstairs and even though we still need to do a TON of work (paint, add an extra window, built-ins etc), everyone who comes into our house ends up in that room and has a hard time leaving :)))) xoxo, Eva
Thank you for sharing real-life renovations. So many IG photos do not look real somedays! Having lived through many renovations in my lifetime I applaud you for taking life with both hands and making this house your home. xo
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Thanks so much, Annette! I am with you on the whole fake vs real-life renovation stories. I do love Instagram and it has provided me with much inspiration as well as connections with like-minded souls but at the same time I am taking everything I see on there with a grain of salt – it helps knowing that photos are staged and airbrushed and that real homes are never that perfect :))) xoxo, Eva
Huge improvement! how exciting for you to share your progress with us! I adore the changes in scale you made to the Fireplace with removing the oversized mantel and putting in the sconces – I think you made the right call on the doors as well.
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Thanks so much, glad you like the changes so far!! If only I could decide already on sconces and paint, our contractor has been on standby for two weeks now LOL!! xoxo, Eva
So excited to see your progress, Eva! What a great idea to use French doors–they are one of my favorite designs, and add so much to a room.
I love that you had guests for dinner in the middle of all this! After all, what is a home for if not to share with friends and family?
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Hi, Diana! Thank you so much!! And I feel the same way about company – our house looks better when our friends are in it!! xoxo, Eva
Thank you for sharing your journey and thought process with all of this. So helpful. I really appreciate the considered choices you’ve made, looks like you are well on the road to a beautiful space.
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Thank you, Varya!! Glad you like the changes we’ve made so far!! xoxo, Eva